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Calendula: A small seed with a big storyTilbake

Calendula: A small seed with a big story

EcoTrail x ByBi

This year, every EcoTrail runner receives a seed pack of Calendula officinalis, a plant long cherished in European herbal traditions.

Calendula, sometimes called pot marigold, is more than a decorative flower. For generations it has been grown in monasteries, kitchen gardens, and alongside cottage doorsteps, ready to pick.

But why did we pick calendula?

Because it brings together beauty and usefulness in one humble plant. It is edible and medicinal. It is easy to take care of..and hardy enough to thrive in Norway!

Calendula follows the rhythm of the sun. Its blossoms open in the morning light and closes at dusk, and often fold inward before rain to preserve its nectar and pollen for bees..how thoughtful is that! If you pay attention, your calendula can quietly forecast the weather.

It grows quickly and generously, asking for little more than light and space. Below you will find a simple guide to help you sow, grow, harvest, and work with your calendula so that this small gift may continue its journey from seed to flower to medicine in your own hands, just like your journey from start to the finish line!

A little about Calendula

Calendula officinalis is an annual flowering plant, which means it will live for one year and die off at the end of the season. Therefore we sow it each and every year. If we let its seeds disperse, it may also grow from seed the next year; we call this self-seeding.

Calendula flowers are 30-60 cm tall with bright orange or yellow daisy-like flowers and soft green leaves. It has a long flowering season, from june until frost in the Oslo area.

It thrives in pots, raised beds, balcony boxes, gardens, even a sunny windowsill with enough depth. You can sow your seeds right away outdoors in May. Calendula tolerates cool weather and can handle light frost once established. It’s like EcoTrail’s runners, here for the long run!

How to grow:

Loosen soil in a pot or garden bed and pre-wet your soil. Your soil does not need to be a rich soil, calendula is a very low-threshold plant.

  • Sow seeds about 1-2 cm deep, and try to spread them evenly.
  • Water gently, making sure the soils are not floating to the top.
  • Keep soil moist until germination, which may take between 7 to 14 days.
  • Calendula prefers sun but tolerates partial shade.

Balcony, garden or windowsill?

All work very well.

  • Balcony box: Perfect.
  • Garden bed: Even better; more flowers.
  • Large pot: Ideal for small spaces.
  • Windowsill: Possible, if sunny and spacious.

Calendula is forgiving and resilient, much like a long-distance runner.

How to collect seeds:

If you allow some flowers to mature fully:

  • The petals will fall, and the seed head dries and curls into crescent-shaped seeds.
  • Let them dry completely on the plant.
  • Collect and store in a paper envelope.

You can re-sow next year, or share with friends!

Calendula seeds on the plant, and collected

A flower for pollinators

Calendula attracts so many pollinating insects! If you are lucky, you will see honeybees, bumblebees and even solitary wild bees visiting your flowers.
It produces nectar and pollen throughout a long season, offering reliable food when other flowers may be scarce. This matters because pollinators need continuous and diverse flowering resources. Your calendula can be a small feeding station that is very much needed!
And, how amazing it is to share life with our buzzing friends, right?

First rule: Harvest often! Calendula likes to be harvested.

If you do not pick the flowers, the plant assumes its life cycle is complete and begins producing seeds. If you harvest regularly, it keeps producing new blooms. There is a beautiful balance here, growth responds to gentle, continuous harvest.

Harvesting and using calendula

Two ways to use the flowers: fresh or dry, you decide!

FRESH

Pick flower heads and use right away! The petals are mildly peppery and lift up any dish with its vibrant colour. You will often see it used in restaurants.

  • Sprinkle petals in salads
  • Add to lemonades and other drinks
  • Garnish hummus or other meze
  • Decorate cakes

DRIED

This is for you to use this magical plant throughout the entire year as food, drink or medicine.

  1. Harvest fully open flowers on a dry day, and remove excess stem.
  2. Lay flat on a tray.
  3. Dry in a warm, airy place away from direct sunlight. Be careful! Wind can blow away your precious flowers.
  4. Store in a glass jar once completely dry. Don’t forget to label it 🙂

Dried petals can be:

  • Sprinkled on salad, hummus or cakes year-round
  • Added to herbal teas
  • Used for oil infusions

Calendula Oil Infusion

This is something I prepare every year as the base to my many cosmetic products. It takes a while for the medicinal properties to pass into the oil, so I start in late summer and have the infusion ready by November to start making Christmas gifts for my loved ones. It is like preserving summer in a jar! Here’s how to make it:

  1. Fill a Norges glass jar loosely with dried calendula flowers. It is very important that you use dried flowers; otherwise moisture may lead to molding and spoil your preparation!
  2. Cover completely with the best extra-virgin olive oil. Remember, this is for your skin!
  3. Make sure flowers are fully submerged.
  4. Close lid, label the jar with date and leave in a warm place for 3 months.
  5. When it’s time to use, strain through cloth or fine sieve.

You now have calendula-infused oil, and can make cosmetic products!

A simple recipe for a calendula hand-salve is a combination of 1:6 pure, clean Norwegian beeswax to infused olive oil, plus essential oils.

Calendula teaches us bounty, hardiness, versatility. A small seed that becomes food, medicine, beauty, habitat, and a shared ritual. It is a reflection of you.

We hope you sow your calendula, watch it follow the sun, harvest generously, and pass its seeds onward. Thank you for reading!